Back lighted panel

ABSTRACT

A back lighted display panel having a basic structure for projecting and/or channeling light onto an illustration face wherein the illustration face is selectively secured to the basic structure by means of a vacuum or suction system.

United States Patent Koch 1 July 1, 1975 UN BACK LIGHTED PANEL 3.051131 9/1962 Nuvzlk 40/36 3.584.401 6/l97l Crycr ct al. 1. 40M]: D Kori BOX 7575 3.608.222 9/1971 Koch H 35/1 x Tulsa OkIa- 74|05 3,616,554 9/1969 Singer ct J1 411 31 Dec. i i v A v c i 1 v v 40/31 PP' N03 315,797 Primary Examiner-Robert W Michell Assistant E.\'am1'rt'r-.I0hn F. Pitrclli [52] Cl 40/1061, 40/132 240/2 AT Attorney, Agent. or FirmWiiliam S. Dnrmun [51] Int. Cl. G09f 13/10 [58) Field of Search 40/132 D, 130 E, 106.i, i571 ABSTRALT 40/31; 35/1; 240/2 AT; 101/382 MV A hack lighted display panel having 11 basic structure for projecting and/0r channeling light onto an illustru [56] Refgrences Cit d tion face wherein the illustration face is selectively sc- UNITED STATES PATENTS cured to the basic structure by means of a vacuum or 2.5901144 3/1952 Schaller 1. 101/382 MV ux Sumo" System 3,0l0 235 ll/l96l Roberts at al. .1 40/132 D l Claim. 4 Drawing Figures J E 48 j 44 55 34 j ee 30 BACK LIGHTED PANEL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to improvements in back lighted display panel devices and more particularly. but not by way of limitation. to a back lighted panel structure wherein the display panel or illustration face thereof is selectively maintained in tight position by means of a vacuum.

2. Description of the Prior Art In back lighted panel structure. such as utilized in many traffic control systems and training courses. for display purposes or training and the like. it is the usual practice to support a lighting structure behind a display face or sheet in such a manner that light is channeled or directed to and through the display face. This display or illustration face is usually provided with an opaque surface having only those portions thereof open or transparent for letting light through which is necessary to provide the desired illustrative effect. The basic structure. or rear portion of the device for supporting the lights is frequently of a cellular structure of a generally egg crate configuration including a plurality of cells for receiving bulbs as required to provide the desired lighting effect. and of course. the display face must be secured to the egg crate structure in some manner.

My prior US. Pat. No. 3,608,222 issued Sept. 28, I97]. and entitled Back Lighted Panel comprises the use of removable and shiftable post members which secure the panel to the basic structure in a manner for reducing any undesirable shadows on the display surface. Another method of securing a display face to a structure is shown in the J. W. Long US. Pat. No. 3,277,586. issued Oct. II. 1966 and entitled Display Panel." wherein the display panel face is secured around the frame edge and held against vertical knife edge structure members. This has disadvantages because of vertical shadows cast by the structure members through the face sheet. and the inability to lamp or insert a light module in a shadow area because of the vertical structure. Further. the face of the panel is limited to opaque painting art work or illustrative material. thus making art work changes costly and difficult.

Still other methods of securing a display face to a structure are shown in my prior art US. Pat. No. 2,952,079, issued Sept. I3, 1960. and entitled "Training Panel Assembly;" and No. 2.985.968, issued May 30. 1961. and entitled Display Device and Method for Making Same;" and No. 3,040,444. issued June 26, I962, and entitled Display Panel Assembly." The structures shown in these patents also have a disadvantage in that they cast face sheet shadows. In addition. the face of the panel shown in my prior patents were again of the opaque painting illustrative art work. making art work changes costly and difficult. The shadows on the face sheet have been substantially completely eliminated by my aforementioned prior art US. Pat. No. 3.608.222. However. the problem of opaque face painting makes modification of the illustrative material difficult.

In order to facilitate changes in the illustrative material. negatives or other art work sheets have been glued or otherwise fastened to the face sheet. The various attempts to place a negative on the face of the display panel in lieu of opaque painting at present results in a fuzzy line or symbol. however. since the heat of the panel lamps affect the glue used for bonding the negative to the face sheet. Mechanical screws have also been used for holding a negative in place on the panel face. with the same poor results. Sharp lighted lines or symbols are only found around the screw. Fuzzy lighting between the screws resulted due to the heat from the lamps. causing expansion of the negatives and/or face sheet.

It is well known that suction has been used to hold photographic paper in position against a perforated plate for dark room processing. Suction is also used to hold paper in printing processes. and to dry wet mats. Suction is used to retain a suction cup to a flat surface. as in the lifting of metal plates. and the like. However. although the graphic panel industry has always had serious trouble securing a sharp lighted line or symbol (through a negative. or the like) for critical knowledge transfer of the subject matter displayed to engineers. students. and the like. there has been no attempt to use suction in a solution to the problem. The problem is acute in that the viewing of this type of panel or display substantially always takes place at great distance from the display itself. and substantially always at some angle to the display panel face. The sharpness of symbology could only be done through costly painting of the opaque areas.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention contemplates a means for tightly maintaining a negative or separate. easy to remove art work sheet in place against a flat surface by suction whereby sharp lighting is provided over the entire panel surface at an economical cost. The negative or art work plate is held with suction against the base structure plate as tightly as the presently used painted opaque methods.

The present invention provides an improved method of obtaining extremely fine. sharp back lighted symbols and lines from any back lighted display surface. thereby permitting reading of the symbology at great distances. and at substantially any angle to the face. The face sheet or display face is selectively secured to the flat plate by means of a vacuum or suction created between the adjacent surfaces thereof. In this manner. the display panel or face sheet may be efficiently held in position. and may be readily removed and replaced when necessary for any reason.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a back lighted panel illustrating a generally typical structure in combination with which the present invention may be utilized.

FIG. 2 is a broken elevational view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. I, with portions shown in section for purposes of illustration.

FIG. 3 is a broken elevational view of a portion of an egg crate structure showing a modified fonn of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of illustration markers which may be utilized in combination with the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings in detail. reference character I0 generally indicates a back lighted display or training panel such as may be utilized in combination with the invention. It will be apparent that the invention can also be wall mounted. bracket or roller stand mounted and the particular structure depicted herein is for illustrative purposes only. The panel structure as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a pair of spaced support legs or braces 12 and 14 supporting a substantially rect angular housing 16 having a translucent or semitransparent construction and is mounted on or secured to the housing 16 in a manner as will be hereinafter set forth. Whereas the illustration or display depicted on the plate l8 may be of any desired or suitable type, that depicted in FIG. 1 broadly relates to a traffic control surveying or surveillance system generally indicated at 20 and comprising a representation of a plurality of interconnecting or otherwise related trafficways or streets 22, which may be selectively lighted in accordance with the flow of traffic. or the like, through the traffic system for facilitating monitoring thereof, or illustration thereof for any other reason, as is well known. The lighting effects may be achieved from the back lighting of the panel face 18 in any suitable manner, such as shown in my aforementioned patents, or as will be hereinafter set forth. Of course, a suitable con trol panel 24 may be provided in the housing 16 for facilitating electrical control of the back lighted system. The lighting could also be controlled by a remote control panel (not shown), or light drivers and separate computer logic (not shown), if desired. All of these methods of lighting the lamps in a display panel are well known.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the means for providing back lighting for the panel 18 and the manner in which the panel 18 is retained in position is shown in detail. Whereas the panel 18 may be of any suitable type con struction, as shown in FIG. 2 the panel 18 is ofa translucent or semitransparent construction comprising a translucent or transparent sheet or plate 26 constructed of Fiberglas, acrylic, glass, or the like, and a nonglare transparent face sheet 28 having a suitable art work sheet 30 interposed therebetween. The art work sheet 30 may be in the form of a film negative, or the like. having at least one apertures or pin hole (not shown) provided therein for transmitting suction to the plate 28. The negative 30 is selectively opaqued and transparent at selected portions thereof as is well known whereby light is permitted to flow through the panel 28 only at those selected transparent portions. In addition. a suitable gasket 32 is interposed between the plates 26 and 28 and extends around the outer periphery thereof for a purpose as will be hereinafter set forth.

Of course, the face plate 28 may be eliminated or omitted, if desired, whereby the panel 18 consists merely of the plate 26 having the art work wheet or film negative 30 disposed thereagainst as clearly shown in FIG. 3. The art work sheet 30 is selectively held adjacent the outer surface of the plate 26 by suction or vacuum pressure in a manner as will be hereinafter set forth.

A cellular support member generally indicated at 34 is disposed in substantially coplanar alignment with the panel 26 and is spaced therefrom in any well known manner in order to reduce unwanted shadows on the panel 18. The cellular or egg crate" member 34 may be of any suitable or well known construction, such as that shown in my aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,222, and as shown in FIG. 2, comprises a plurality of substantially parallel spaced strips 36 extending in one direction and a plurality of similar parallel and spaced strips 38 arranged in perpendicular relationship with respect to the strips 36 to provide a plurality of substantially square or rectangular cells (not shown) having the opposite ends thereof open. The strips 36 and 38 are intersecting, as is well known. and may be secured together in any suitable manner (not shown).

The egg crate 34 may be spaced from the panel 18 in any suitable manner, such as shown in my prior art patent, but as shown herein, a plurality of post members 40 preferably ofa substantially rectangular configuration may be selectively inserted in any desired cell of the cellular structure 34, and secured therein in any well known manner. Of course, the posts 40 are disposed behind or in alignment with opaque portions of the panel 18 in order to reduce or preclude disturbance of the lighted illustrative portions. and the posts 40 may be disposed at substantially any desired spacing as required for firmly supporting the panel 26 and the posts 40 for facilitating securing of the panel 26 to the post. It is found that the cement may be readily broken or overcome by relatively slight manual pressure applied in an appropriate direction, as is well known, when it is desired to remove a post 40 or change the position thereof. Alternately, the post 40 may be secured to the panel 26 by means of a screw (not shown), or the like, if desired. in lieu of the cement. Of course, the post 40 may be of substantially any desired configuration rather than the square configuration shown herein.

Back lighting of the panel l8 may be provided by substantially any number of lamps or light bulbs, such as shown at 42, may be removably secured to the cellular structure 34 as required to produce the desired light pattern on the panel 18. Whereas the bulbs 42 may be secured to the structure 34 in any suitable manner, the means depicted in FIG. 2 comprises a spring clip member 44 adapted to snap over the upper or outer edge of any strip 36 or 38. The outer end of the clip 44 terminates in a flange member 46 disposed in substantial planar alignment with the plane determined by the composite edges of the strips 36 and 38. The flange 46 supports a bayonet type housing 48 which, in turn, receives the light bulb 42. The bulb 42 is thus supported within one of the cells of the cellular structure 34, and the flange 46 also supports the usual terminals, or the like not shown) for facilitating the electrical connection (not shown) of the bulb with the electrical wiring system (not shown) of the panel 18. A bulb may be thus disposed in substantially any of the desired cells as required for the desired lighting pattern for the panel l8.

An alternate type of lighting element is generally and schematically indicated at 50 in FIG. 3. The element 50 comprises a suitable bulb 52 mounted in a housing 54 and connected with the wiring system (not shown) of the panel 18 in any suitable manner (not shown). One end of the housing 54 is provided with a head member 56 which is preferably removably secured thereto in any well known manner (not shown), but not limited thereto. The head member 56 is provided with an outer surface 58 which may be selectively opaqued and transparent, as particularly shown in FIG. 4, for permitting the passage of light therethrough only at the transparent portions thereof. For example, in a traffic control or monitoring system, the surfaces 58 may be provided with transparent portions corresponding to travel direction arrows as shown at 5821 and 58b, or a bar as shown at 58c for use in combination with similar head members for providing a lighting pattern corresponding to trafficways. The element 50 may be clipped or otherwise secured to the egg crate 34 in such a manner that the surface 58 of the head 56 is disposed adjacent the inwardly directed surface of the plate 26. Alternately, the surface 58 of the head 56 may be glued to the inwardly directed surface of the plate 26. Thus, the light pattern on the panel 18 may be achieved by a proper preselected positioning of the elements 50 in the panel 10.

As hereinbefore set forth, the panel 18 comprises a flat plate 26 and a corresponding face plate 28 having an art work sheet 30 interposed therebetween. Of course, it will be apparent that the illustrative material may be applied directly to the outer face sheet 28 by selective opaqueing, if desired, or, as hereinbefore set forth, the art work 30 may be retained against the plate 26 without the use of the outer face plate 28. ln any event, the face plate 28 and/or the negative or art work sheet 30 are retained in the proximity of or against the plate 26 by means of suction or vacuum. As particularly shown in FIG. 2, at least one aperture or port 60, which may be beveled or flared as shown at 62, is provided in the plate 26 to provide communication between the opposite faces thereof. A suitable flanged fitting 64 having a passageway 66 extending longitudinally therethrough is cemented, glued, or otherwise secured against the inwardly directed surface of the plate 26 whereby the passageway 66 is in substantial alignment with the aperture 60. A flexible conduit or other similar tube 68 is secured to the fitting 64 in any well known manner and extends into communication with a suction pump 70, which may be of any well known type.

When the pump 70 is actuated, a vacuum or suction is created in the tube 68 and is transmitted through the fitting 64 and aperture 60 to the space between the plates 26 and 28. The gasket 32 provides a seal between the plates 26 and 28 around the outer periphery thereof whereby the suction in the tube 68 will evacuate the air from the space between the plates 26 and 28. If desired, a spring loaded foot 72 may be secured to the housing l6 for engagement with the panel 18 in order to facilitate retaining of the plate 28 in position, particularly during periods when the pump 70 is not in service, such as during assembly of the panel 18, or when replacing the plate 28 or the art work 30 for any reason. Of course, it will be apparent that a plurality of the ports 60 may be provided as desired or as necessary for providing the required vacuum or suction, with the ports 60 being in communication with the pump 70 through proper conduiting and the like, as is well known.

Of course, in the event the art work sheet 30 is utilized without the screen or outer plate 28, as shown in FIG. 3, the suction transmitted through the aperture will hold the negative against the plate 26 until such time as it is desired to replace the art work 30. The art work 30 may be easily removed for replacement, or any other reason, by exerting manual force in a proper direction for overcoming the force of the suction.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel back lighted display panel wherein the illustrative panel is retained in tight position on the structure in a manner for providing a sharp image and for facilitating removal of the illustrative material for replacement or any other reason. The display material is retained in position by means of a vacuum or suction which secures the material to the back lighted structure in a manner providing efficient sharp clear lighted symbology from the display panels. The symbology can thus be interpreted at great viewing distance.

Whereas the present invention has been described in particular relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A back lighted display device comprising a translucent panel, a support structure spaced from said panel and provided with lighting means for transmitting light to the panel, said panel comprising a first substantially flat translucent plate secured to the support structure, a second substantially flat translucent plate disposed adjacent said first flat plate on the opposite side thereof from said lighting means. art work sheet means interposed between said first and second flat plates and having selective opaque portions and selective transparent portions thereon for selectively transmitting light through said second flat plate for providing a lighted pattern, suction means communicating with the space between said flat plates for releasably securing said second flat plate to said first flat plate, said art work sheet means being responsive to said suction means for releasably adhering to one of said flat plates, said panel including sealing means extending around the outer periphery thereof between said two plates, said suction means comprising aperture means provided in said first flat plate, pump means, and conduit means connected between the pump means and the aperture means for transmitting suction thereto upon actuation of the pump means. 

1. A back lighted display device comprising a translucent panel, a support structure spaced from said panel and provided with lighting means for transmitting light to the panel, said panel comprising a first substantially flat translucent plate secured to the support structure, a second substantially flat translucent plate disposed adjacent said first flat plate on the opposite side thereof from said lighting means, art work sheet means interposed between said first and second flat plates and having selective opaque portions and selective transparent portions thereon for selectively transmitting light through said second flat plate for providing a lighted pattern, suction means communicating with the space between said flat plates for releasably securing said second flat plate to said first flat plate, said art work sheet means being responsive to said suction means for releasably adhering to one of said flat plates, said panel including sealing means extending around the outer periphery thereof between said two plates, said suction means comprising aperture means provided in said first flat plate, pump means, and conduit means connected between the pump means and the aperTure means for transmitting suction thereto upon actuation of the pump means. 